Fuisse traditur excelsa statura, colore candido, teretibus membris, ore
paulo pleniore, nigris vegetisque oculis, valetudine prospera; nisi quod
tempore extremo repente animo linqui atque etiam per somnum exterreri
solebat. Armorum et equitandi {5} peritissimus, laboris ultra fidem
patiens erat. In agmine nonnunquam equo, saepius pedibus anteibat,
capite detecto, seu sol seu imber esset; longissimas vias incredibili
celeritate confecit. In obeundis expeditionibus dubium cautior an
audentior, {10} exercitum neque per insidiosa itinera duxit umquam nisi
perspeculatus locorum situs. A Brundisio Dyrrachium inter oppositas
classes hieme transmisit cessantibusque copiis, quas subsequi iusserat,
cum ad accersendas frustra saepe misisset, {15} novissime ipse clam
noctu parvulum navigium solus obvoluto capite conscendit, neque aut quis
esset ante detexit aut gubernatorem cedere adversae tempestati passus
est, quam paene obrutus fluctibus. Ne religione quidem ulla a quoquam
incepto absterritus {20} umquam vel retardatus est. Cum immolanti
aufugisset hostia, profectionem adversus Scipionem et Iubam non
distulit. Prolapsus etiam in egressu navis, verso ad melius omine Teneo
te, inquit, Africa.
SUETONIUS, _Divus Iulius_, 45, 57-59 (sel.)
[Linenotes:
4. +animo linqui+ = _he was subject to fainting-fits_.
8. +capite detecto+, so Cyrus the Younger and Hannibal.
9. +incredibili celeritate+, cf. Cic. _Ep. ad Att._ viii. 9 _hoc_
τέρας (= prodigy) _horribili vigilantia, celeritate, diligentia
est_. Cf. also Napoleon the Great.
14. +cessantibusque copiis+ = _and when the troops delayed their
coming_. Caesar did not then know that Antonius had himself been
attacked at Brundisium by a Pompeian fleet, and had shown great
skill in baffling it, and forcing it to put to sea again. Once more
Antonius set sail with 4 legions and 800 horsemen, and fortunately a
strong S. wind carried him safely to the port of Lissus (N. of
Dyrrachium).
18-19. +gubernatorem ... passus est.+ ‘_Quid times? Caesarem
vehis!_’ was Caesar’s famous exhortation to the pilot. (Florus.)
21-22. +Cum ... hostia:+ if the victim even tugged at the rope when
being led to sacrifice, it was considered unfortunate, and hence a
long slack rope was used. Cf. Juv. xii. 5 _Sed procul extensum
petulans_ (butting) _quatit hostia funem_.
24. According to Frontinus his words were ‘_Teneo te, terra
mater_.’]
+The man Caesar.+ ‘We may picture him as a man the dignity of whose
bodily presence was in due proportion to the greatness of his mental
powers.’ --Warde Fowler.
B28
GAIUS IULIUS CAESAR (2)
_Captured by Pirates. Studies Oratory at Rhodes, 76-75 B.C._
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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